It is a teacher's hope to be able to read essays that her students wrote and be impressed. And it finally happened this time. The stack of essays on George Orwell's 1984 has been the best that I have read this year. My AP students are finally getting how to write an analytical essay, it seems. Their ideas were innovative and thoughtful. I think it has a lot to do with how much they enjoy the book. Most of them were able to make a connection between the book and the real life. I am so very happy for them blossom as competent and college-ready writers. Now if only my 10th graders can do the same....

Truthfully, I was slightly "scared" to get back to work. I was at a conference for two days last week and then there was a 3-day weekend. If you are a teacher, you know how tough it is to get back to work after a long weekend. When a routine has been disrupted, lots can go wrong. However, my students were so fabulous. They were attentive. And many have said, "We missed you, Mrs. Glazer!" Crossing my fingers that tomorrow will be just as peaceful and productive.

One of the toughest things about blogging is keeping up. I began blogging this past August using another blog service. Having been discouraged by my lack of consistency, I began making all my posts private. I figured posting a few comments on Facebook and Twitter is sufficient. After all, my "friends" read I post. However, I was told that writing and reflecting can help my brain development. Since I teach my students to persevere even when they fail, I decided to follow my own advice. So here is my attempt at blogging once more. Let's see whether I can keep up this time.